SUMMER CAMP is fun for so many reasons. Camp is full of rock climbing, face painting, marshmallow roasting, and water-balloon fighting — but the best part? No baths! (Well, at least, not like the ones at home.)
Going out to readers in our Egg Matza (5 to 6 years) age group this month (June 2014) is the PJ Library selection, No Baths at Camp, written by Tamar Fox and illustrated by Natalia Vasquez. It tells the story of young Max, who recounts for his mother the week’s activities at camp.
We hope the title sparks discussions about camp in your home. Have you ever attended camp? Do the children in your family attend a Jewish overnight or day camp?
GOING TO CAMP
As PJ Library founder Harold Grinspoon has stated, Jewish camp provides young people the “opportunity to develop lasting friendships, explore Judaism, and try new things in a safe, nurturing community.”
For this reason, our PJ Library-affiliated program, PJ Goes to Camp — in partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC) — works to provide Jewish camp opportunities to children.
Just what makes a Jewish camp? The FJC says a Jewish camp is one that “weaves Jewish values, culture, and traditions into the fabric of camp, helping campers to connect to their own identity and the larger Jewish community.”
As we explain in our blogpost, “How to Pick the Right Summer Camp,” parents often weigh a number of different factors in selecting a camp for their child(ren) — but the benefits are often easy to see.
CAMPING INSPIRATION
If you are considering a summer camp adventure for the children in your family, be sure to speak with other parents in your community who can provide a first-hand experience. The note below is part of a letter we recently received from such a parent who can attest firsthand to the benefits of camp.
Our sons’ favorite PJ Library book is Sami’s Sleepaway Summer by Jenny Meyerhoff. I am writing to tell you this because that book inspired our oldest son, Bryan, to try out a Jewish sleepaway camp this past summer for a 13-day session at age 8.
Bryan went to Eisner Camp in Great Barrington, Mass. He loved it! He came home happy, singing Hebrew songs, and feeling proud to be Jewish. Now, he tells his 6-year-old brother how much fun it is to celebrate Shabbat at camp.
My husband and I did not attend Jewish sleepaway camps, and we certainly did not go away from home for that long at age 8. But the PJ book inspired us and our son, and we were brave enough to try it. Now Bryan has blazed a trail for many summers to come for himself and his brothers We hope your family is also inspired by Sami’s Sleepway Summer, No Baths at Camp, or another summer selection and decides to give Jewish camp at try!
June 17, 2014